This exciting, three-dimensional sculpture of Michelangelo’s famed Vatican ceiling is wrought with the same painstaking care that the artist himself would have shown. Exclusively for Toscano, our artists have taken one of the world’s most replicated images and masterfully reproduced it in two parts. Authentically sculpted in bonded natural marble, the pieces are designed so that the hands of God and Adam line up in perfect accord. A museum-quality focal point for mantelpiece or library table, this beloved work of art takes on new dimension in its sculptural form and becomes an instant family heirloom.

In the arts of painting, sculpture and architecture the Tuscans have always been among the best, and Florence was the city in Italy most worthy to be the birthplace of such a citizen to crown her perfections. Thus in 1474 the true and noble wife of Ludovico di Lionardo Buonarotti Simone, said to be of the ancient and noble family of the Counts of Canossa, gave birth to a son in the Casentino, under a lucky star. The son was born on Sunday, 6 March, at eight in the evening, and was called Michelangelo.

Michelangelo, was placed with Maestro Francesco da Urbino to school. But the boy devoted all the time he could to drawing secretly, for which his father and seniors scolded and sometimes beat him.

About this time Michelangelo made friends with Francesco Granacci, who though quite young had placed himself with Domenico del Grillandaio to learn painting. Granacci perceiyed Michelangelo's aptitude for design, and supplied him daily with drawings of Grillandaio, then reputed to be one of the best masters not only in Florence but throughout Italy. Michelangelo's desire to achieve thus increased daily, and Ludovicoy perceiving that he could not prevent the boy from studying design, resolved to derive some profit from it, and by the advice of friends put him with Domenico Grillandaio that he might learn the profession. At that time Michelangelo was fourteen years old. The author of his Life, written after 1550 when I first published this work, has stated that some through not knowing him have omitted things worthy of note and stated others that are not true, and in particular he taxes Domenico with envy, saying that he never assisted Michelangelo. This is clearly false, as may be seen by a writing in the hand of Ludovico written in the books - more info